1998 SC2 Saturn Overheat Troubleshooting

Your Saturn SC2 has a sophisticated cooling system that helps draw heat away from the engine. This, in turn, prevents internal engine components from seizing up due to excessive internal temperatures. However, if this system fails, the Saturn SC2 will begin to overheat. If the engine temperature is reaching dangerous levels, the needle on the water temperature gauge will move to the "red" or upper part of the gauge. You will then need to do some troubleshooting to figure out what the problem could be.

Instructions

1. Open the hood of your Saturn SC2. Disengage the radiator cap by pressing down on it and turning it counterclockwise.

2. Pull the cap off of the radiator and examine the inside of the radiator. The coolant should be green. If it looks brown or resembles peanut butter, then you must replace the radiator and flush the entire cooling system. Otherwise, the coolant will not move through the system efficiently. Brown coolant also indicates rust in the system, and there may be rust blocking the flow of water through the cooling channels. Do not run your SC2 in this condition.

3. Open the coolant reservoir tank on the right side of the engine. The coolant level should be between the upper and lower marks on the outside of the reservoir tank. Low coolant levels can cause the SC2 to overheat. You need to fill the reservoir with a mixture of 50 percent coolant and 50 percent water.

4. Inspect the radiator. If your radiator has many bent fins, replace it. This can cause overheating due to the fact that the radiator cannot effectively radiate heat when there are bent or missing fins.

5. Check the radiator hoses. Any leaking or dry, rotten radiator hoses should be replaced. If you notice any collapsed hoses, these need to be replaced too as they can cause a back up in the system and prevent the SC2's cooling system from working properly.

References

• "Saturn Coupe, Sedan, Wagon Repair & Service Manual 1991-2002;" Matthew E. Frederick, Mark Ryan; 2004